Selby’s double cause to celebrate

MARK Selby missed out on the Vardy party but was the star guest at celebrations in his honour in Sheffield after landing a second Betfred World Championship title.

The Leicester cueman potted glory at the Crucible, beating Ding Junhui 18-14 in a match that finished just minutes after Claudio Ranieri’s phenomenal Foxes clinched the Barclays Premier League top prize.

Selby, a committed Leicester fan who paraded the World Championship trophy at the King Power Stadium in 2014 after his first world triumph, was thrilled by the city’s double success.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I don’t know what’s more of a shock – me winning it twice or Leicester being Premier League champions.”

“I didn’t know until afterwards. One of the guys who was sat just to the left of me is a big Leicester fan, so after I got back to my seat he said to me it was 2-2 and Leicester were champions,” Selby said.

“I knew going out there that the game was kicking off, but I tried not to think about it too much.”

Selby pointed at smiling wife Vikki in the crowd as he crossed the winning line, joy and satisfaction detailed across his face.

Selby said: “It’s a great, great feeling.

“To win it once was a huge achievement and something I’d always wanted to do – but I never dreamt of winning it twice.”

By becoming the sixth player to win the world title more than once at the Crucible, Selby had due cause to celebrate long into the evening, at the tournament’s official champion’s reception.

“I’m really tired at the moment but I’m sure I’ll last the night,” he said.

Selby led the final from start to finish and was a worthy winner, collecting snooker’s biggest ever prize cheque of £330,000 to go with the silverware.